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Questions & Answers about Ona przymierza rękawiczki.
What tense and aspect is przymierza, and how do I express the English progressive?
Przymierza is present tense, imperfective. Polish uses the same present form for both English simple and progressive: it can mean “she tries on” or “she is trying on.” To stress “right now,” add an adverb like teraz or właśnie: Ona właśnie przymierza rękawiczki.
Do I need the pronoun Ona?
No. Polish usually drops subject pronouns when the verb ending shows the subject. Przymierza rękawiczki. is neutral and natural. Keep Ona for emphasis or contrast (e.g., To ona przymierza rękawiczki, nie on.).
What case is rękawiczki, and why does it look like the dictionary form?
It’s accusative plural (direct object). For many inanimate feminine nouns, nominative and accusative plural look the same. Singular would be rękawiczka (nom.) and rękawiczkę (acc.).
How would I say just one glove, or a pair of gloves?
- One glove: rękawiczka (accusative: rękawiczkę)
- A pair of gloves: jedna para rękawiczek (accusative: jedną parę rękawiczek)
Why is it rękawiczki and not rękawice?
Both exist. Rękawiczki usually means regular everyday gloves. Rękawice is a broader term and often used for heavier or specialized gloves (e.g., rękawice robocze, rękawice bokserskie). For ordinary gloves, rękawiczki is safest.
What’s the perfective partner of przymierzać, and how do I form the future?
Imperfective: przymierzać (present: przymierza). Perfective: przymierzyć. The perfective “present” is a future meaning: Ona przymierzy rękawiczki = She will try on the gloves (once/completely).
How do I say this in the past, and what’s the aspect difference?
- Ongoing/habitual (imperfective): Ona przymierzała rękawiczki.
- Completed single event (perfective): Ona przymierzyła rękawiczki.
Can I replace rękawiczki with “them”?
Yes. Accusative plural (non-masculine-personal) is je: Przymierza je. or Ona je przymierza. In negation you need genitive: (Ona) ich nie przymierza.
How does negation affect the object?
With negation, Polish typically uses genitive instead of accusative:
- Affirmative: Ona przymierza rękawiczki.
- Negative: Ona nie przymierza rękawiczek. With a pronoun: Nie przymierza ich.
How is this pronounced?
Approximate guidance:
- Ona: OH-na
- przymierza: pshih-MYE-zha (cluster prz sounds like “psh”; rz/ż like “zh”)
- rękawiczki: ren-ka-VEE-chkee (ę before k sounds like “en”) Stress is on the next-to-last syllable: przyMIERza, rękawiCZKI.
Is there a difference between przymierzać and mierzyć with clothes?
In everyday speech, mierzyć can also mean “to try on (clothes),” so Ona mierzy rękawiczki is fine. Strictly, przymierzać = try on; mierzyć = measure.
How do I say “She is wearing gloves,” not “trying on”?
- Neutral “wearing”: Ona ma na sobie rękawiczki.
- Habitual “wears”: Ona nosi rękawiczki.
What changes if the subject is male?
In the present, only the pronoun changes: On przymierza rękawiczki. In the past, the verb agrees in gender:
- He was trying on: On przymierzał rękawiczki.
- He tried on (completed): On przymierzył rękawiczki.
How do adjectives agree with rękawiczki?
They take feminine plural forms: czarne rękawiczki, skórzane rękawiczki. In negation, use genitive plural: Nie przymierza czarnych rękawiczek.
Can I reorder the words?
Yes, for emphasis:
- Neutral: (Ona) przymierza rękawiczki.
- Emphasize object: Rękawiczki (ona) przymierza.
- Emphasize subject: To ona przymierza rękawiczki. All are grammatical; context decides.
What are the present-tense forms of przymierzać?
- ja: przymierzam
- ty: przymierzasz
- on/ona/ono: przymierza
- my: przymierzamy
- wy: przymierzacie
- oni/one: przymierzają